Anticipating Historic Wins That'll Rewrite the Cup Story: Accumulator Tip for May 22

It's Cup extravaganza this Wednesday as some of the top teams across Europe and Asia compete against each other for the prestigious trophy. In Japan, Urawa Red Diamonds will be seeking to go the extra mile in the J. League Cup by defeating second-tier V-Varen Nagasaki, having come short in the previous iteration. Secondly, in Croatia, the newly crowned champions Dinamo Zagreb are licking their lips as they take on Rijeka in the second leg of the Croatian Cup, a side that has been plagued with inconsistency in the league. Lastly, the main headline is the Europa League final that takes place in Dublin, Ireland, hosting the final for the 15th time as Atalanta seek to slay the German giant Bayer Leverkusen and claim their first ever Europa League trophy in club history. 

After finishing in seventh place in the previous season of J. League Division 2, V-Varen Nagasaki are currently on a roll this season as they currently occupy second place with 33 points after having played 16 matches thus far. In the second round of the J. League Cup, they defeated first-tier Jubilo Iwata 1-0 at home to book their place in the third round, where they might be in for a tough 90 minutes.

Urawa Red Diamonds, on the other hand, did not have the best of commencement in the J1 League, but they have slowly started to pick up the pieces, going unexplainable in their last four matches to occupy sixth place, leaving them five points adrift of making their way into the top three. In the second round of the J. League Cup, they defeated third-tier Gainare Tottori 5-2 away from home and will have a similar outcome in the third round.

Urawa Red Diamonds have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last seven matches across all competitions, and this is something V-Varen Nagasaki will be aiming to use to their advantage. Therefore, support both sides to get on the scoreboard, which should suffice.

• Bet Type: BTTS

Rijeka has had a terrific season in the 1. HNL, where they've already secured a second-place finish for the first time in five years. However, they are currently plagued with inconsistency in the league, losing four consecutive matches, and come into this match aiming for a favorable outcome. 

Dinamo Zagreb, on the other hand, has been dominating the 1. HNL for quite some time now. The Croatian giants secured their seventh consecutive league title weeks ago and come into this match high on confidence, aiming to clinch a double this season.

In the first leg of the Croatian Cup, with Dinamo Zagreb playing at home, neither side could convert their chances at goal, thus leading to a goalless draw. However, this time around, we expect to see a lively fight in the final showdown, which makes us inclined to think that both sides will be able to get a goal each.

• Bet Type: BTTS

Pitted against Europe's elite teams in the knockout phases, it was certain that there was no light at the other end of the tunnel for Atalanta in the prestigious Europa League competition. However, La Dea's managed to brush aside the likes of Liverpool, Sporting CP, and Marseille to book their place in the final showdown in Dublin, Ireland, where they are 90 minutes away from clinching their first ever UEL trophy. 

Bayer Leverkusen, who did the unthinkable in the top flight to dethrone German powerhouse Bayern Munich and lift their first ever Bundesliga league title, is on the verge of carving their names in the history books as they aim to clinch their first Europa League trophy since 1988. Xavi Alonso's wards are currently on an unimaginable 51-match unbeaten run (42, D9) and enter this match seeking to extend that run.

Bayer Leverkusen is aiming for a treble this season and, most importantly, to maintain their unbeaten run that stretches to 52 games. However, Atalanta has proven from time to time that they are dream killers and will likely enter this match seeking to achieve exactly that. To be on the safe side, we expect both sides to get on the scoreboard, as neither side has impressed lately in putting forth a defensive approach. 

• Bet Type: BTTS